Your Top 10 Asian Artists of 2008 So Far
 

Simple make a top 10 of the artists you think are very deserving of this year.

You can post explanations as to why you think so and such.

I hope this thread will be popular!!!

1. alan: With her 5 elements single release I thought it would be a "flop" with mediocre songs, but to be honest it was AMAZING, all the songs on the singles were jewels in and of themselves. She's definitely one of the best female artists in Japan currently, and even though there were 7 releases, 1 of which is a digital single, you won't be disappointed with any of her music.

2. Namie Amuro: She's had a phenomenal year by far, I would normally state her as #1 but alan was more deserving. Namie has release 6 new songs this year, 1 of them being a collaboration with Double, and with PLAY last year her popularity started to peak again, and upon the release of 60s70s80s us fans knew another "Amura Boom" was here. With Best Fiction reaching heights she hasn't had in a long while shows that she is still a prominent female artist in Japan.

3. Utada Hikaru: I love Hikki to death, she's definitely one of my faves even though I do think some of her music sounds the same, and yet some doesn't. This year she released an extraordinary album Heart Station, and I was blown away! Even with 3 releases this year she is still one of the top 5 imo for 2008 as an artist.

4. Ami Suzuki: I just fell in love with Amigo last year I believe, and it doesn't take much to impress me with music, I knew when she and Nakata were to do an entire album together that it would be simply amazing. With 2 singles and 2 albums released this year she should have sold more than she ultimately did. Dolce was a jewel and a definite 7/10, and Supreme Show is just a 20/10, Hopefully she'll regain the recognition as an artist she once had.

5. ayaka: I LOVE her so much, she's great, with four releases this year I can't help but just be amazed by her. Once again another artist who knows how to release singles and albums properly. Although her album FM is better than STTS, it seems to me STTS had stronger singles, and with her 2nd collaboration with Kobukuro known as Anata To it's a sure thing that when those 3 are put together you're sure that the single will be amazing!!

6. Koda Kumi: Even though her statement earlier on this year put her in a rut, it didn't stop Kuu from putting out great material! Kingdom was an amazing album, honestly I could say it should have been top 3 of this year! Moon was an okay single, then Taboo came along and I was WOWED again by Kuu. Stay With Me which is coming up is a typical Kuu ballad, very pretty. Even though she's had her fair share of ups and downs this year, Kuu is definitely one of the best this year!

7. misono: With 4 releases total this year and 1 upcoming release I was skeptical if I would like anything this year. Misono has been one of my favorite artists since their debut, and even though she will prolly never have another song like VS I'm still satisfied with what she gives. Her album this year was a decent 6.5/10 the best song on the album imo is Misono-Aji a GREAT opening track, so with that said she is my #7 artist of the year.

8. Anna Tsuchiya: Miss Virgin Cat has given me what I like to call hot flashes...lol Crazy World, Cocoon, Virgin Cat, and Nudy Show! I just can't help but wonder why it is she gives me chills all the time. She is by far one of the best artists I've come across and the way she can juggle different genres of music is amazing. Great job Anna!!!

9. BoA: With her American debut this year, she has just been on fire. Eat You Up, The Face, Vivid, and Be With You. Although I'm not a fan of TF I do love a few tracks from the album, and her single releases this year, she was originally my 6th choice of this year, but after TF I dropped her a few spots. Still she is a great artist, and hopefully she'll go back to her Korean roots sometime soon.

10. Ai Otsuka: With her 5th anniversary this year I was very excited for good releases but to much dismay one of her singles was lackluster RS/OxT the only song I enjoyed from that single was Sora To Kujira. Then KN came along and I fell in love!!!, and with the album Love Letter being leaked so soon I listened to it and only found I liked 3 other tracks aside from the singles...:( at least she's had a better year than Ayu imo!

Please post, I'd love to see everyone else's opinions!

I can't come up with a list of 10 artists, since there aren't 10 artists / groups who have really done anything that great (IMO) this year. So here's my top 3!

1. Namie Amuro
I love everything Namie releases, and I've loved her ever since think of me came out. She's my all time favorite, and always will be! <3

2. alan
alan has had really great songs, and I like just about every one of them that she's released. Nothing else to really say...other than: I also love her single covers! :D

3. Kuroki Meisa
She released one of my favorite songs of the year! So I think she deserves to be on my list =)

The End! :)

^OMG totally agree with you on alan's covers, they have to be some of the best avex has EVER had!!!

1. ARASHI

i only got into them starting from february, but as some may know, i'm still a HUGE fangirl, and even if i wasn't, that dosen't stop me from saying that all the singles they've released this year are EXCELLENT (well, maybe "one love" isn't my best a-side, but i still love it, lol :P). the sales even prove how amazing they did this year, so i'm extremely happy that they've had their success and hopefully even more will come in 2009. i love these boys like CRAZY, so i wish them all the luck.

2. NEWS

i only got into them in april, but unlike some people (:laugh) i loved SUMMER TIME, taiyou no namida, and happy birthday. even "color" is a great album, so i'm honestly satisfied with how they did in 2008. :yes

3. KAT-TUN

i only got into them in may, but DON'T U EVER STOP is amazing, and so is LIPS, white x'mas, and their queen of pirates album. i love all these singles and i'm so proud to be a fan. (kame FTW :smitten)

4. Hey Say JUMP!

"dreams come true" was just soo catchy that i HAD to be a fan of this group. "your seed" and "mayonaka no shadow boy" are awesome, so i can't wait for their debut album, hopefully soon.

5. Kanjani8

i didn't like them at first because of their cracked up songs, lol, but i seriously wouldn't wanna hear any other type of songs from them. i totally love "wahaha" and "musekinin hero" (ryo nishkido FTW :smitten

6. Koda Kumi
7. UVERworld
8. GIRL NEXT DOOR
9. Utada Hikaru
10. Ami Suzuki

1) Maki Goto

Been at the top of my list since 2002..not about to change now. Also no surprise that avex begged her to join them! :angel

2) Ami Suzuki
DOLCE and Supreme Show...amigo fans have been spoiled this year :heart

3) flumpool
Where has this band been all my life? EVERYONE BUY THEIR CD NOW.

4) Namie Amuro
5) Utada Hikaru
6) SMAP
7) Anna Tsuchiya
8) KAT-TUN
9) Ayumi Hamasaki
10) Koda Kumi

1. Epik High
Their two albums (Pieces pt.1 and LOVESCREAM) was off da chain. My gawd! Just mindblowing music. They upped their music ability this year. LOVESCREAM was soooo deep. It touched my heart. Tablo = :heart If you haven't tried them out then you definitely to try them out.

2. Wonder Girls
Best damn girl group in Asia. LITERALLY! They spit on Perfurm, SNSD, Brown Eyed Girls, Momusu, and other girl groups that are FAIL imo. :laugh j/k I do think that are better than them. So Hot = national anthem for girls/women all over the world. :yes I luffed everything they have released this year and I definitely think JYP is a producing god. I hope next year will be an AEWSOME year for them.

3. DOUBLE
OMG! This chic did it so damn hard this year. BEST COLLABORATIONS = BEST best album of 08. LITERALLY! I luffed every track and Black Diamond was to damn loveable. I definitely think people should show her more respect and give her props because she really did an impressive job this year. IMO, she did better sales than Namie. Both albums were great but BEST COLLABORATIONS owned BEST FICTION. :yes :yes :yes

4. Yu Yamada
Although it took like 2 years for her finally release her debut album, I must say that it was hella worth it. lol I luffed EVERY TRACK on the album. fiesta!fiesta! = :luv2 I hate that she wasn't fully recognized for MYSIC because it was hella excellent coming from a debuting artist. I hope that in the near future. her music will be more popular as she is as an actress. :yes

(And um, I hope her and Shun Oguri get hitched soon. They are like the best couple in Japan right now. They are so cute together. :bgiggle)


5. Utada Hikaru
Hope you guys aren't suprise that she's not my #1 artist this year. :rolleyes I think Hikki has been fantastic this year. Heart Station was great and enjoyable album. Prisoner of Love made me luff this chic even more. The song is just so damn irresistible. Gawd, it fitted so well with Last Friends (best drama this year. :yes). Everytime it came on, I had to sing along with Hikki...while crying because of the stuff Sanosuke did to his girlfriend whose name I srsly can't remember and what that gay girl whose name I can't remember either, had to go through to deal with her sexuality. :weep .....well, anyway. Hikki really did a fantastic job this year...I just wish she did something BETTER for her 10th anniversary. =/

6. Bi Rain
My baby back with a killa album. Rainism was sexy hawt ok. Love Story was so damn catchy and I luffed the pv. The choregraphy to Rainism (pv) was luff. I wish I could do what he done. It was hot. I hope he'll release his english material soon. I was mad that he "postponed" his english career.

7. Koda Kumi
Despite MOON ever being released from her, Kuu really impressed me this year. Kingdom really sucked me into finally admitting I liked her. The singles from the album were her best releases since Secret and the tour was awesome. IMO, Kuu really redeemed herself with TABOO. I hate that she got such lackluster sales for it but MOON got a better sales. So unfair. lol Stay with me was okay. It's just a basic ballad that you'd typical like if you are a J-pop fan. I can't wait til info about her new album is released. It's gotta be epik. :bchuck

8. Namie Amuro
Namie did fantastic this year. Her comeback was huge. 60s70s80s = best single of the year. :yes After 60s70s80s still had its momentum of hawtness, I thought that Sexy Girl/Do Me More would be just as hawt but IMO, they were complete garbage. =/ It just FAILED in so many ways. :lmfao I was really hoping for her to release a studio album instead of a Best this year..and I must admit that I thought it was going to fail so hard...but I was proven wrong. After reading a post of Rocky Raven's that made complete sense, he made me see that BF was a justifible release. I just hope that she'll release a studio album next year and just be as quite as she is now with her music.

9. BoA
THE FACE is honestly one of her worst albums ever released but not in a bad way. I really luved THE FACE. Lose Your Mind = best song on TF :yes All the tracks were great and showed a new side of BoA. I just hope that once she head back to da east, she'll begin to work on her Korean material. *prays for a new korean album from her*

10. Crystal Kay
Kuri-chan's singles this year were awesome. Color Change was an okay album but I was just really impressed with the new style that she was modeling. lol Namida no Saki ni = pure luff :heart I really luved that song as it was so hip 'n kewl. The pv sucked but hey, at least song wasn't. lol ONE was pretty and I luff the video. :cry Kuri looks so pretty. I hope that her next album has better and have better sales. :)

in no particular order (exluding ayumi in the list since she's 1 of my faves downpat) :

1) BREAKERZ
2) ARASHI
3) KAT-TUN
4) NEWS / Tegomass
5) Anna Tsuchiya
6) Koda Kumi
7) GIRL NEXT DOOR
8) alan
9) L'Arc~en~Ciel
10) abingdon boys school

it's so hard to cram artistes into top 10 lists :dead2

1. Namie Amuro
I only started to like Namie when PLAY came out as I really wasn't a fan of her style of music until I heard Hide&Seek :P But 2008 has definitly been Namie's year so far. 60s70s80s was just totally amazing and Do Me More has become one of my favorite songs :P

2. TETRA-FANG
A seriously under-rated and under-promoted band!! Destiny's Play was a really good song and a good way for them to debut. The only problem is that KOJI (Koji Seto, vocal) sounded kinda bored but has improved with the newer songs. Individual-System is seriously catchy :P I defy anyone to listen to this song and not like it!! The SUPERNOVA mini-album totally rocked!! SUPERNOVA and Innocent Trap are the best songs there and Message is really sweet :P Roots of the KING is pretty cool too :P

3. AAA
They got their first #1 single with MIRAGE (albeit it holds the record for the lowest sales of a #1 single lol) but its good and a nice way to start the year :P Their best album was amazing!!! I have the huge box version and its so great!!! BEYOND was pretty crap to be honest but One Night Animal kinda made it worth it. MUSIC!!! is a good summer song and ZER0 is just the *****!! lol

4. SID
I only found them about a month ago but I totally love them now!!!! They're a kinda rock visual-kei group with a jazzy feel. Their album Sentimental Macchiato is really great. Yuuwaku Collection (which I'm listening to right now :P) is their best song so far this year I think :P Their b-side collection album is pretty good too. Their first major single release Monokuro no Kisu has to their best single yet :P

5. NEWS
YES!! Nyu-su :P Color seriously rocks my world!!!! All their songs this year have totally rocked (especially BAMBINA thanks to Tego and his "Bambina! Oh oh baby baby yeah!!" lol) Color is an amazing album too!! Yamapi's engrish in MOLA just makes we want to eat him up :P

6. Ayumi Hamasaki
As much as I love ayu she hasn't been as good as others this year :( Mirrorcle World rocked and everything and GREEN is fantastic but I wish we could have had more new material (especially given that Mirrorcle World is just an extended Mirror)

7. BoA
Not really a great fan of BoA but Eat You Up really got me into her :P

8. Koda Kumi
Again not a good year for Ku. Kingdom almost bored me to death and MOON just made me want to sleep. I though that with the fantasticness that is TABOO things would pick up but now Stay With Me is just a snorefest for me

9. Epik High
Didn't think I would like these guys but when I heard One is was just so in love with it that I had to check them out and now I think they rock :P

10. Minwoo (M)
Love his new album M RIZING :P its so addictive :P

^Yaaaay! Another Epik High fan. I'm so happy that they are on your list. :heart

karen, dear...how come arashi is second in your list? :grumpy

#1 Utada Hikaru - Obviously the best Asian artist of 2008. Her album was yet another masterpiece, her singles have been incredible and she has basically dominated the female singer scene for me.

#2 Suzuki Ami - Her singles "ONE" and "can't stop the DISCO" were excellent, as was most of DOLCE and all of Supreme Show. Loved her this year!

#3 Big Bang - What a fantastic year for them, as well. They managed to come out with new mini albums and albums that were all really great. They seemed to also improve their English by a lot! Loved this year for BB!

#4 SHINee - SHINee debuted this year and made an incredible impression on me! What a fantastic group! I loved them so much :heart

#5 Wonder Girls - Wonder Girls also turned out to be one of the biggest forces in music this year, and I loved everything they did. Absolutely fantastic! They're "so hot"!

#6 Koda Kumi - Koda Kumi managed to really redeem herself later this year with "Taboo" after the horrible MOON single. Good job, Kuu-chan!

#7 Tohoshinki - T was a great album, and Mirotic was simply amazing. Everything they did seemed so great to me! Wow!

#8 Tae Yang - Even though he's a part of Big Bang, I had to include him here. I absolutely adored his mini solo album!

#9 Hamasaki Ayumi - "Mirrorcle World" is the song that saved Ayumi for me. Absolutely adored it! Good job, Ayu-chan!

#10 Perfume - Wow, loved their singles this year! Great job with GAME too.

1. DOUBLE - Queen of RnB has made a huge impact this year. With 2 BEST of compilations out with nothing but A grade quality, except BLACK DIAMOND - pure utter crap.

2. Emi Hinouchi - Despite being a very low key artist, she is releasing her anticipated sophomore album. She has had 2 tear jerking ballads this year with Ai Dake Ga and I Love You with an enjoyable Kataomoi.

3. Koda Kumi - She is a top artist but has struggled this year, with a self suspension, lackluster summer single, phenomenal dance single and a mediocre winter ballad. I just hope she will rise to the top again with her new album TRICK.

4. Foxxi misQ - These girls have been growing as artists and never fail to impress me with their single releases. They have had the upbeat XBF, first ballad single Say You Love Me ~Mahou no kotoba~ and their poppy Last Christmas. The girls are very consistent with presenting themselves as serious artists and not just as the Destiny's Child of Japan.

5. Anna Tsychiya - She may of had a REALLY boring year but her 2nd full length album was fantastic. No filler tracks and all but A-side single quality. I just hope she starts releasing more frequently.

Not in any order really. BUt 2008 has been a really disappointing year with J-pop/Music. Nothing has stood put so much. My only hit for 2008 was Koda Kumi's TABOO.

YOU LITERALLY TOOK THE WORDS OUTTA MY MOUTH!!!

This year list is full of new debuter...love it...

1. Ayumi Hamasaki
although she just released 3 new song this year, but i have the opportunity to watch her concert, and saw her in person, SHE JUST SO PRETTY AND BEAUTIFUL!!! and so far her new song is so COOL!!! so she still top my list

2. Alan
she really a promising singer...i put a lot of hope on her, hopefully she can manage her carier and made it being a super jpop star. i love all of her song...

3. Shota shimizu
another promosing singer...usually i hate RnB, but his song is so different...i love it and i love his voice too

4. MiChi
i really love [PROMISE] and can't stop listening to that song...can't wait to hear her new song and how she will manage her carier

5. Hata motohiro
not a really new singer, he just released his 2nd album, 2weeks ago, his popularity is kinda ok...hope he can maintain it and become more popular next year...his song is so relaxing...

6. Hitoto You
She definitely not a new artist, but when i hear her [tsunaide te] single, i just fall in love with her song, since then i keep listening to that song, and searching of her discography...but definitely [tsunaide te] is really all time favourite song for me...

7. ASUKA
shiro tsubaki...beni tsubaki...i just love that song to death!!! i still hear to that song everyday!!! its top my playlist in the second place with more than 500 times played. really wonderful song...although she really has a small chance to become a superstar, but i will support her no matter what...

8. UVERworld
my fav jrock band, for this year [koishikute] make me love that band even more...

9. Stephanie
not a good year for her...she kinda slow down...and [changin'] is kinda boring for me...but she release a debut album, and i kinda like that album, hopefully she can do better next year...

10. Fukuhara Miho
another new debuter with strong voice, i love himawari and yasashii aka, change is not bad too...lookin forward for her future release

and HOME MADE KAZOKU become my fav hip hop group, along with ARASHI become my fav boysband

sorry for my english...XD

woow another Minwoo fan



my list

1. Ayumi Hamasaki
because of mirrorcle world, the briliant song I love her so much. if she dint release MW i think ayu isnt in my top 5 favorite artist

2. Ami Suzuki
she release a great songs this year, ONE, CSTD, flower, Bitter, the WeekEND and many more and she's more beautiful than before

3. Ayaka
smart girl and made STTS became sooooooooo wonderful album and worth to buy.

4. SPEED
Yaiiiiiiy they reunited. I thought reunite is something impossible for them but again. there's nothing impossible
they sing a great song

5. GReeeeN
Kiseki made me so in love with them.

6. Koda Kumi
WOOOOOOOOOOOW at TABOO. this is her best song ever

7. Alan
5 elements and RED CLIFF is the best.

8. NewS
heheh SUMMER TIME is great song and their Pacific tour is their best DVD

9. Namie Amuro
woho at 60s70s80s. WHAT A FEELING is her best song this year.beside that collaboration with DOUBLE

10. Arashi
truth is their best single ever.. i really love that song

1. Namie Amuro
2. EXILE
3. Anna Tsuchiya
4. Big Bang
5. Perfume
6. Koda Kumi
7. F.T Island
8. Ayumi Hamasaki
9. Hello! Project
10. Ami Suzuki

I'm not really good with words so i'm just making a list :D

1) ayumi hamasaki
2) Utada Hikaru
3) Namie Amuro
4) ayaka
5) Crystal Kay
6) Koda Kumi
7) Ai Otsuka
8) Perfume
9) MISIA
10) Mika Nakashima

1. HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR
2. Leah Dizon
3. alan
4. Ami Suzuki
5. Dir en grey
6. Perfume
7. UVERworld
8. Anna Tsuchiya
9. Ayumi Hamasaki
10. LM.C

1. Utada Hikaru - In my eyes Hikki can do no wrong (ignoring Boka wa Kuma). Great to see her releasing music this year and performing more on the music shows. Although, some can argue her vocal ability to perform live is dwindling I felt she gave her all when she made "Heart Station". I love all tracks on that album (except Boka wa Kuma)

2. Namie Amuro - Namie definitely did not waste time this year at all. 60s70s80s is a work of art by doing her own spin on some of music's memorable hits without turning it into crap definitely deserves to be in my top 3. She reminded people was she's called the Queen of Hip-Pop.

3. Koda Kumi - The Kingdom...where do I begin. I was happy to know that Kumi returned to a more R&B sound for that album. That album alone shows me why I have Kumi as my top 5 Japanese artist. Tracks like "More" surprised me because I would never expect to hear such a soulful ballad from her that showed off her vocals. No rotten fluids can hold her down as she returned with Moon Crying which was a slight step down but "Taboo", damn, that title alone is hot. I wanna see what "TRICK's she has in store for next year.

4. Hyori Lee - I've been waiting for Hyori Lee to release a full length album since last year after the single "Toc Toc Toc" I still wanted more Hyori. It was worth the wait with the album "Hyorish" (she created her own adjective I hope your getting this Oxford dictionary). The album to my ears is amazing and her performance with Big Bang at the MKMF last week was so hot.

5. Miliyah Kato - I've been listening to this girl forever when no one gave a damn about her. I always knew that she deserved more attention than she was receiving and finally...she got it. Miliyah is not one to screw up cover songs, so her great rendition of Namie's "Sweet 19 Blues" came to me as no surprise. Her "Tokyo Star" album is another great album from her to add to her discography. I can't wait to see what she has in store for next year.

6. Wonder Girls - With their addictive songs that not even the haters can escape. These girls definitely stepped up their game this year from going to girls in school outfits to slowly entering diva status. JYP is banking off these girls like its no one's business

7. DBSK/Tohoshinki - I'm going to be honest, when I first started listening to jpop I was not a fan of this group at all. Since I wasn't to thrilled with boybands and their songs didn't seem to get me hooked. Then they released Purple Line...I honestly think this line in the song was dedicated to me "Gotta introduce myself". They sure did introduce themselves to me all over again and now I'm a fan of this group. Funny how things can change.

8. Shinee - With of the help of Tohoshinki, I was getting comfortable listening to boybands again. Then the group Shinee debuted in South Korea. I decided listen to the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover". When I gave these boys a listen, I was surprised at how good they were. Their vocals are great, dancing enjoyable to watch. This group will offer amazing music to their fans next year.

9. Big Bang - I listened to them occasionally but I already knew they were a good group. This year I felt they stepped up their game a lot and is expanding their fan base by releasing albums in Japan now. Keep up the great job guys

10. Anna Tsuchiya - Anna is so unique and different. I love how she's not afraid to experiment with her music and try new things. A great example of her experimentation that was a creative work of art would have to be "Crazy World". I haven't heard such a song like that in my life.

I will have to say that 2008 was the year of comebacks and newbie's entering the music scene. I hope 2009 is even better.:D

In terms of their releases this year (in no particular order either)...

1. Ami Suzuki
2. ayaka
3. JYONGRI
4. BoA
5. Mai Kuraki
6. melody.
7. alan
8. Koda Kumi
9. Ayumi Hamasaki
10. Hitomi Shimatani

1) ai otsuka
2) ayaka
3) utada hikaru
4) kobukuro
5) aiko
6) DBSK
7) ami suzuki
8) mika nakashima
9) namie amuro
10) ayumi hamasaki

LOL :laugh

well BREAKERZ's tops for me simply because they're a new act as they were formed just last April & if not for MTV Taiwan , I wouldn't have discovered how great their music's

I could have put both ARASHI & BREAKERZ together but you know , cos of the hot frontman DAIGO that's distracting me big time on this :innocent :laugh

1) Koda Kumi
2) Tsuchiya Anna
3) BoA
4) Amuro Namie
5) Hamasaki Ayumi
6) ayaka
7) YUI
8) Otsuka Ai
9) Kamiki Aya
10) Tohoshinki

Mika, Yuna, Ami, OLIVIA, misono falls behind them, kinda disappointing.

This is a very difficult list to make for me because so many of the artists I used to keep up with for good music have been disappointing.. :( I'm not even sure I can come up with ten artists that I think deserve a place on a list. Here it goes anyways:

1: alan

She ends up on top of my list, however her works have not really been really versatile. I love her voice, her songs are spectacular at best, but all she's been doing 'till now is just ballads or very mellow pop. I hope to see and hear LOTS more of her in the coming year! (did I mention she's extremely beautiful as well? ;) )


2: Namie Amuro

Namie released some fantastic songs with 60s70s80s, however along with the BEST, + BLACK DIAMOND that's all she did release this year. She has released the highlights of jpop this year and reminded us of why she's still the queen of hip pop with her former hits.


3: Ayumi Hamasaki

I decided to put AYu behind Namie due to the number of tracks released, her next single included. I LOVE the new direction she's taking though and look forward to hearing more. Great year for ayu as well.


4: perfume

good album + more good singles after. what can I say, Nakata is on a roll.


5: Ami Suzuki

Allthough her 2008 album has some "dormant" tracks, the overall impression is really good and she's definetly found her niche for a while. I love songs like can't stop the disco, SUPER MUSIC MAKER and TRUE.


I'm going to include a non-asian as well:

6: Christophe Maë

French singer-songwriter that has a great voice, tons of emotion and songs that really grasp you right away. Mon p'tit gars is my favourite!


7: C-ute

Ok I know what you're thinking. THis is the whining child group created to milk money out of drooling old salary men. This may be the truth, but this year they have also released a couple of songs that make me still be able to keep an interest in tsunku's music; namely the genious Edo temari no uta II, Do Don Ga Don Ondo and :o LALALA shawase no uta. DOn't ask me about the rest, cause I don't know.

8: Mai Hoshimura

I've just gotten into her music, but basically I think every single she released after sakura biyori is great.

9: Angry&hAngry

Two of the most famous idols of H!P together promoting very gimmicky punk goth fashion actually results in listenable haunting music! Only one mini album and they're on my list. :yes

10: Morning Musume

Only two singles an an album with songs we've heard before? Barely enough to make onto the list, if only for the greatness of Resonant Ble and the tsunku cover version. X-D


DIsappointing:

Shimatani Hitomi
Otsuka Ai
Big gang of H!P soloists
Koda Kumi
sifow
Mai Kuraki

Ooooh, difficult topic. So many artists have made an impression of me this year!

01 SHINee
Well definately my newcomer of the year. I just can't seem to get bored of them. All of their songs are rated 5 stars on my itunes with umpteen amounts of plays. They're just awesome in general.

02 Dong Bang Shin Ki
My boys never cease to amaze me. "Why did I fall in love with you" is an amazing song, and the MIROTIC album and their successfull Korean comeback just blew me away.

03 Koda Kumi
Koda Kumi last year was at the bottom of my artists lists even though for years she was at the top I thought her singles last year were awful (Except for "BUT") but the Kingdom album made it up for me. It was amazing and I think her singles from this year have all been top notch!

04 Nana Tanimura
I got hooked on Nana after listening to "if i'm not the one" in my eyes she is certainly an up and coming artist to look out for.

05 alan
Two words: RED CLIFF

06 Lee Hyori
"It's Hyorish" is definately one of my favourite albums of the year by far! U-Go Girl is going to be a song I will be singing for yeeeeeeeeeeeeears to come. XD

07 Big Bang
Big Bang are another group I always love and don't really dislike anything by, their new album is amazing, their Stand Up mini album was great and their Japanese album was cool.

08 H!S!J
Hey Say Jump is a group I never thought I'd like but I guess they're my "surprise" of the year after hearing "Your Seed" and "Mayonaka no Shadow Boy" is definately one of my songs of the year.

09 GIRL NEXT DOOR
How could I forgot GND! XD I was hooked from the moment I herd the 30 second preview of Guuzen no Kakuritsu! I love them and hope they go on to release lots of singles and albums...just avex...tone down the publicity please. I can't deal with all the releases. XD

10 CSJH
My girlies! CSJH are my number one girl group and it was amazing to see them do well in the oricon this year with "Here". Well done girls and I hope to see you climbing slowly up the charts with future singles and getting as big as DBSK =3

10. BoA - Even though there was a lot of songs I didn't like off of "THE FACE" nor "Vivid" pique my interest...Eat You Up is definitly my guilty pleasure this year...I agree needs a Korean album sometime soon.

9. Anna Tsuchiya - Ok, NUDY SHOW! was great except for the fact "cocoon" got mishandled, all the songs were definitly in the right place and mind.

8. HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - Even though they are losing a key member of the group, HandMC has a had a really great year. ROCK PIT was pure gold IMO, and even the 3 singles released were good...well maybe except "HOT LIMIT" they did well this year.

7. Koda Kumi - She's had a rollercoaster of a year. "anytime" and "Kingdom released early in the year and the album was OK. Then the whole amniotic fluids = bad happened and she popped MOON which was ugh....luckily TABOO was super hot for me. Gotta love her.

6. HANGRY & ANGRY - Maybe it's a little too soon to talk about Ex-members of H!P, but they really hit the spot with their debut, definitly hoping for more stuff from them.

5. alan - She's finally finished the "5 elements" shindig and even though "Megumi no Ami" was a borefest for me the other 4 + Shiawase no Kane were all different in their own ways and showing us the beauty of ballads. I'm still waiting on the album.

4. Perfume

3 singles released and an album? Perfume has been breaking records left and right this year for sure. GAME was definitly a great album and post-singles love the world and Dream Fighter continues to carry the fire of the ladies throughout the year. I have to say Perfume boomed so much in two years.

3. misono

Also 3 singles and an album. misono really improved this year with the release of "Sei ~say~" which is a great album in itself. Though post-single "Kazoku no Hi" was pretty mediocre and kinda blah to me, She couldn't hae had a better year. Oh and an affair? She's totally the sis of Koda Kumi XD

2. Ami Suzuki

2 Singles and 2 Albums? No way. "DOLCE" came out first and everyone pretty much gasmed through the first 9 tracks, I did too so don't worry. Though it didn't end there. "ONE" and "can't stop the DISCO" pushed her popularity further and then the bombshell of a godly album "Supreme Show" was released and she's definitly on her way to being ubertastically awesome.

1. Aira Mitsuki

3 singles and an album were released this year for this up&coming artist. Even though she's compared to Perfume a lot, she's not even covered by Nakata which is definitly refreshing. COPY is definitly one of those albums that defines J-tek for sure and to add up she released "ROBOT HONEY" and it's her best single so far!!!!

1:- Ayumi hamasaki .. i love her new song green
2:- sifow .... i love the song ' Jewel
3: perfume :- electro WORLD RULES!
4: ami suzuki ... love ' Free Free'
5: shoko Nakagawa ... love all her songs
6: koda kumi ... love black cherry,cherry girl and moon crying the best
7: Ayaka :- love all her songs
8: tohoshinki : i love the song ' why did i fell in love with her '
and that's it ... i try to come up with 10

01. DIR EN GREY
They're my fav Jrock band and they did great this year! I love Glass Skin and UROBOROS (I'm getting used to its experimental sound) <3
And! They broke into Billboard's album chart at 114! So my congratulations, i think that's amazing for them^^
02. Namie Amuro
I was very happy when she suprised everyone with Best Fiction and i just love Do Me More and Sexy Girl! I hope she'll release smth soon!
03. Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayu is #3 only because i'm not a big fan of MW :( But I absolutely adore Guilty which is amaing! Ayu almost never disappoints me, and i'm sure she'll do her best with Green again^^
04. Utada Hikaru
Even though i found the most songs on Heart Station boring (read: Boku wa kuma):shakehead i can't ignore the love i have for Prisoner of love, Flavor of love, Stay Gold and HS. I really hope she'll release smth soon, and not only when some Jdorama comes out ;)
05. Kanon Wakeshima
I love her music! And i love Still Doll and Suna no Oshiro! Since i'm a big fan of VK, this makes my love even bigger :D I'm waiting for your debut album, Kanon...:( Mana did a great job.
06. Alan
She's amazing, and she just needs to be promoted more... Her element singles are very nice and i enjoyed listening to her this year.
07. BoA
The Face is ok, and i'm not excited with her american debut, but i can enjoy Eat You Up now.
08. AZU
She's new and she has such an adorable voice :) Loves RAINBOW!
09. D'espairsRay
They were cool at the Taste of Chaos this year so i'll forgive them the lack of creativity from Brilliant and Kamikaze...
10. Koda Kumi
Sometimes i really can't watch her or stupid comments, but i'll forgive her because i really like Kingdom and Taboo! ^^

This year was very interesting and enjoyable^^

1- one ok rock
2- kagrra
3- w-inds
4- bright
5- Amuro Namie
6- epik high
7- big bang
8- GARNET CROW
9- exile
10- Ketsumeishi

OMG YAY! SHINee defintiely - although not in my top 10 - did amazing! Aren't you glad I introduced them to you?!

How can I forget two of my faves!?! Emi was technically my first J-artist and I love everything by her to death! and Foxxi misQ are my ghetto divas- i love them! <3

OMG YES! I excluded three of my girls omg! Three amazing yet unappreciated artists!!! :weep

01. HAMASAKI AYUMI - Mirrorcle World and GREEN are, without question, superb. And I don't care what anyone says, GUILTY was a well-crafted album.
02. Mr.Children - HANABI. Enough said. (SUPERMARKET FANTASY forthcoming.)
03. KOBUKURO - 5296 was definitely a smash, and ALL SINGLES BEST is still charting.
04. Amuro Namie - She is totally the Queen of ORICON this year. I'm so proud of her.
05. TOHOSHINKI - Fantastic releases this year. Not surprising at all that they finally managed to snag a handful of #1s on ORICON.
06. Koda Kumi - She managed to return to ORICON with a decent selling power in spite of her rather embarrassing scandal.
07. Angela Aki - Tegami~Haikei 15 Kimi e~ made up for the lack of releases over the past seven months prior.
08. ayaka - Her new album was very well made. Though I prefer First Message, I can't deny the fact that Sing to the Sky is excellent.
09. GReeeeN - KISEKI! Great song. And their album あっ、どうも。おひさしぶりです。was phenomenal, too.
10. Jay Chou - I absolutely loved Capricorn.

I didn't gave my reasons as to why who & who made it to my list yesterday so here we go !

1) BREAKERZ

this JRock trio easily goes down as my fave (new) act for the year . If not for MTV Taiwan , I wouldn't have discovered just how great their music's & for a new band that was formed last April , they're doing pretty good so far with the amount of singles they released this year .

their 3rd album BIG BANG ! is gonna drop next Wed & I can't wait for that to happen + it helps that frontman DAIGO's a hottie (he's 30 f.y.i)

2) ARASHI

if there's 1 band that you know of the name but probably not the music , it's these guys & to survive & stuck together for 9 years + & counting , it's no mean feat .

+ truth / Kaze no Mukou e's in the running for the top selling single in Japan too .

& there's of course the whole Jun-bait going on too :innocent

3) KAT-TUN

rock and R&B never sounds as better as it's , innit KAT-TUN ? & when you the dymanic duo Akame in the lead vocalists frontseat , bang !

4) NEWS / Tegomass

they have great some melodies/songs going on in their music material & of course hello Yamapi & sexy Osaka man Ryo ;p

5) Anna Tsuchiya

I just love love love this girl , she's so cool & under-rated . I like that she's an individual in her own right & I'm proud to be a fan of hers since her debut solo single Change your life

6) Koda Kumi

even though she relatively had a sucky 2008 in the bore snoozefest that's of MOON , at least she bounced back with TABOO which was awesome & 1 of the best singles I come across , hands down

7) GIRL NEXT DOOR

lead vocalist Chisa's a babe period but aside from that , I really like their music which's a blend of pop/rock/dance . I guess I have to thank MTV China for spinning their debut single on heavy rotation :laugh

8) alan

for a Chinese artiste to make her mark in the Japanese market that's something to be commended . She has a unique voice & style going on in her & I predict bigger & better things that will befall her next year & in time to come

& of course there's her signature yodelling too

9) L'Arc~en~Ciel

funny that I used to dismiss HYDE's voice & the band's music but I love it now . KISS's a great album & so's DRINK IT DOWN , NEXUS 4 / SHINE

10) abingdon boys school

they were my fave (new) act last year & I really missed them SO SO much :(

I want them to release something new as they haven't put out a single thing this year at all ! . J-A-P's really rocking but it NEEDS an official physical single release date :(

other mentions include :

- GReeeeN
- Kobukuro
- ayaka
- OLIVIA
- Hidemi Uematsu
- Hey ! Say ! JUMP
- Tackey & Tsubasa
- KinKi Kids
- Namie Amuro
- Kanjani8
- otsuka ai
- Yuna Ito
- Mika Nakashima
- Aoyama Thelma
- V6
- Utada Hikaru
- ayumi hamasaki
- GLAY
- Shuuji to Akira
- T.M.Revolution
- YUI
- Ken Hirai

I think that should be the whole list of jpop artistes I listened to

01. alan
02. Ayumi Hamasaki
03. Namie Amuro
04. Mr. Children
05. Utada Hikaru
06. Koda Kumi
07. BoA
08. ayaka
09. Ken Hirai
10. GReeeeN

1. Namie Amuro

2. Lee Hyori

3. Ai Otsuka

4. Kumi Koda

5. Uhm Jung Hwa

6. Ayumi Hamasaki

7. Morning Musume

8. Utada Hikaru

9. alan

10. Wonder Girls

1. Ayumi Hamasaki; Great job Ayu! GUILTY + Mirrorcle World + GREEN were fantastic!
2. alan; 5 elements in one year! It's .. no more words!
3. Koda Kumi; She really made great songs this year, like TABOO!
4. Namie Amuro: She didn't do really much this year but Do Me More & Sexy Girl were fantastic!
5. Kanon Wakeshima; A total great newcomer!
6. Anna Tsuchiya; I love NUDY SHOW! Anna, you are my new star :3
7. Ragdoll; Wings of Heart had emotion! Great job Girl!

That is it.. not more!

hm in no particular order

1. Ayumi hamasaki
Her songs this year have just been love for me!!!

2. Y2J
I'm so glad that i discovered them! They're such an amazing group <3 and their debut album is amazing!

3. alan
She is probably my favorite debuter this year, i really can't wait for her album to come out already!

4. Namie Amuro
Her work this year have been amazing, DMM is still my fave song, she really have come back ;)

5. Epik High
Though I've only listened to One...but One is just so amazing, it's hard to put my love for it into words~...it's just..:luv2

6. Anna Tsuchiya
Her songs on NUDY SHOW! are so great! i love Serenade and cocoon!

7. Jam Hsiao
One of my fave for Cpop now, his smoky voice really got me back into loving Cpop again

8. Elva Hsiao
3-Faced Elva was amazing!! She definitely haven't lost her touch!

9. BY2
They're such a cute group~ i totally :luv2 their songs

10. Utada Hikaru
With the release of HEART STATION, she totally have me hooked XD

disappointing artists:
Jolin Tsai - ...just why :bawl
sifow - grr! come back already!
Jay Chou - new album..only 2 songs i like..shame shame

eh I don't suppose Jam & Elva are related by blood or just concidence that they both share the same surname ?

& I read that Jay's Capricorn received mixed reviews & I guess you don't like it huh ? for me no comment on that

^ well chinese people have common surnames XD
but they're not related~

the album..wasn't exciting, i liked when he experimented more, like in Seven mile fragrance or Ye Hui Mei, i can see how Mayday's album totally took his number 1 spot...

(this list is excluding Ayumi Hamasaki because in general she is my favourire Japanese singer and that will never change)

So now on to the list:

1) Koda Kumi
Only recently got into her actually. Kingdom was such a fantastic album with a lot of diversity, I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard considering I didn't have high hopes, knowing previously that she had been labelled as a Pop/RnB artist

2) Nana Kitade
It's been a bit of a slow year for her. But her new singles have all been absolutely fantasic. My personal favourite is the song she's done for the Japanese release of Ruby Gloom; Siren

3) Nana Mizuki
Another one with a bit of a slow year. Lovely DVD though and her two new singles have been awesome. I just love her as well so that's mainly why she's here

4) Kanon Wakeshima
Only just entered the music scene and she already has me hooked. skip turn step and still doll and two simply amazing songs and Suna no Oshiro is so gorgeous as was Kuroi Torikago

5) Aya Hirano
I've been following her quite closely since 2007 and then she finally released her full-length album this year. Not that happy to find that half of the songs I'd already heard through the singles. However, she is still awesome and definately a good album

6) Younha
Her newest Korean album was fantastic. I'm a relatively recent Younha fan but yeah it was made of rather a lot of win. Very happy with it

7) OLIVIA
I have to admit, I prefer The Cloudy Dreamer to Trinka Trinka, but I do still love Trinka Trinka. I just wish she'd start releasing more full-length albums instead of these mini-albums

8) Aya Kamiki
I really really like her newest album Are You Happy Now? and the singles she's put out for it are equally good. I don't think I like it as much as Atashi no Tame ni ~Forever More~

9) Utada Hikaru
Not fantastically amazed by her newest album. The single tracks were definately the high points of the album and I did love Boku wa Kuma. Kind of a shame it was fantastic, because Flavor of Life has become one of my favourite Hikki songs

10) KOTOKO
Very slow year for her. She's made two wonderful singles, but here's hoping for a new album soon. She hasn't managed to disappoint me yet though so it's all good

01. L'Arc en Ciel
02. Aya Kamiki
03. Y2J
04. Yoga Lin (rofl, I'm like the opposite of pommy, since I think Yoga>Jam)
05. aiko
06. Kenji Wu
07. IU
08. Ock Ju Hyun
09. Seo Taiji
10. Queen Wei

I wasn't sure about the last spot.

^ i like yoga's song...just i don't love them as much as jam's XD...taiwanese artists these days..such funny name~
but :hi5 for another Y2J lover

so agree with you on this

she needs to put out a full length album instead of an EP man

ugh, this was hard for me. :P

01. KAT-TUN : they released some pretty amazing stuff this year, IMO. they keep evolving, changing, and solidifying their work. they always do something new and i'm never bored with them. "KAT-TUN III -Queen of Pirates-" is hands-down the best JE original album i've heard.

02. Perfume : i put them this high up because i'm never into the typical-female-idol-groups (i despise them, in fact, LOL). but Nakata is a genius and i love his work. he can make something i hate into something i like. i also like the edgier side they portrayed with their 1st original album "GAME". it shows they can do various styles also.

03. capsule : so, they only released one album & a vinyl, lol. but "More! More! More!" has to be one of my favorite albums of the year! "FLASH BACK" was a disappointment, but damn, Nakata really stepped up this capsule release. "JUMPER" is already one of my favorite songs, period.

04. Amuro Namie : her last couple of releases have been stellar! i absolutely love her "60s 70s 80s" single and i congratulate all her success on "BEST FICTION". she's gone a long way from her 90s boom and she's back on top!

05. Suzuki Ami : Nakata really did a great job this year balancing all his acts and making great music. i genuinely like all the material Amigo has released this year. i still have issues with her voice on the vocoder, but the music's hot!

06. KANJANI8 : i wasn't expecting them to be so MIA after their "Wahaha" release, but the wait was good enough for me. "Musekinin Hero" is one of their best singles, hands down. every song on the single is different from one another! JE knows how to treat fans, for sure. and make us fangirls waste money.

07. Utada Hikaru : Hikki's done a great job this year. "Prisoner of Love" is one of my favorite songs from her and it's the theme song to one of my favorite j-dramas! "HEART STATION" was a really solid album, IMO. and i'm looking forward to her 2nd english album.

08. Hamasaki Ayumi : if it was one artist who celebrated her 10th anniversary in style, it was definitely Ayu! "Mirrorcle World" was an awesome, awesome 10th anniversary single and i was super-excited that she created a full song to "Mirror". also, "A COMPLETE" was a really nice treat for her fans and her upcoming single "Days / GREEN" looks to be a hit with me too!

09. GReeeeN : "Kiseki" is one of the best singles of the year, IMO. and their 2nd album "Aa, domo. Ohisashiburi desu." was a definite step up from their 1st album. they're so unique & fun. i can't wait for their upcoming releases.

10. OLIVIA : OLIVIA's slow with her releases, but waiting is definitely worth it. i genuinely love all her music & her mini-album "Trinka Trinka" was no different. she always comes up with something creative and out of the ordinary and that's what makes her stand out to me. but i hope she doesn't take too long with her next release, please! xD

oh yeah I agree with you , QOP's an amazing album + it's the very 1st JE album I listened to which makes it even more special

it's easily goes down to be my fave album of the year :D

Musekinin Hero's a great single hands down , it's the one which really changed my perception of the crazy group as before that I was very reductant to try their music out for the longest time but luckily MH came in

Oh let's see....

01 - Dir en grey
Well, first of all, there's the Glass Skin single, which has really grown on me, but the real highlight here is Uroboros. I thought for sure the album would've been pushed back to 2009, since they're generally pretty slow with their releases and it didn't feel like there was a long time in between Uroboros and The Marrow of a Bone. The album's totally killer in every way - music, vocals, lyrics, packaging. And, I also got to see them in the US this year. That was my 4th time seeing them and it's the best they've been!

02 - MUCC
If my love for Dir en grey wasn't so strong they'd be first. They released the amazing album Shion in March and followed that up with the really great Ageha singles. I also got to see them for the first time in March and they were incredible. They're just so talented and consistent with amazing releases. Unfortunately, they are releasing another Live Chronicle... which, imo, is a bit much.

03 - Koda Kumi
Kingdom was so fantastic and her follow up singles were great, too. I really the style of music she went for in these releases and it certainly shows promis for further releases.

04 - Aira Mitsuki
Although she's a newer discovery of mine, her music is so cute and energetic; I love it. Everything she releases this year was awesome and I can't wait for more releases.

05 - Superfly
Her music really is a breath of fresh air. She has a great voice and her style's really fun to listen to.

06 - capsule
07 - Perfume
08 - Utada Hikaru
09 - alan
10 - Namie Amuro

01. ayumi hamasaki

she doesn't release much this year, but GUILTY album, Mirrorcle World, and Life definitely bring me an ayu fever this year :D. they're all great. also A COMPLETE really makes me found a new love of her old songs. and CDL 07-08 is the best concert ever!!!

02. alan

i enjoyed all of her songs this year. she has the best b-sides and single covers ever! she deserves popularity, i hope she can get it from her debut album next year.

03. Namie Amuro

the queen is back! 60s70s80s is her best single imo. and BEST FICTION really got me into namie this year.

04. Utada Hikaru

HEART STATION is a great album, i really enjoyed it a lot. too bad she doesn't really active this year. :( but well, that's hikki for you :D

05. Mika Nakashima

she released enjoyable and unique singles like LIFE, I DONT KNOW and eien no uta. and i really love ORION. this skinny girl rocks!

06. Koda Kumi

Kingdom was decent but kinda forgettable, the only good thing Kuu did this year is That Ain't Cool, Once Again, and TABOO. the other was crap.

07. BoA

not a fan of THE FACE, but i like some songs from the albums. Vivid and Eat You Up was great, too bad she didn't huge promotion yet in US.

08. Superfly

The girl's voice really good! ai wa komete hana taba wo definitely her best song in a while. i love that song to death!

09. ayaka

she has a sweet voice, but her music sounds the same. i get boring with STTS pretty fast.

10. DBSK

i don't really got into boyband, but Purple Line and Mirotic is few of my favourite songs this year :D

ooops double post sorry :D

My list goes like this...

1. NAMIE AMURO: The Queen is back! Definitly, this has been the year of the new Amura boom, with the amazing single 60s70s80s, the incredible colaboration with DOUBLE and, of course, BEST FICTION. She has reinvented herself and have managed to be on top again, with all the stigmas she carries: her tragic personal life, her pregnancy and her "fail" from grace. PLAY anticipated this, but who could think that she would turn as succesful as this again? Congrats to her!

2. AYUMI HAMASAKI: Even when compared to other years, it isn´t as spectacular, I thought that the Empress was worth of the spot because of her 10th anniversary. What she´s done with the music industry is unbelievable, and this year has been superb:GUILTY was such a good album, and Mirrorcle World just shaked the charts. Her ASIA TOUR is her most spectacular to date, and the new single promises to double the amazingness of Mirrorcle. And we still have the PREMIUN COUNTDOWN LIVE before she´s done this year, so, indeed, this year has been top-quality for the diva.

3. ANNA TSUCHIYA: Great singles this year, and a SUPERB album, NUDY SHOW!. Probably the best album of 2008, she experimented with new genres in a gret way, and sher has really refined her style. Also she has done great collaborations with AI and MONKEY MAJIC. She really deserves the 3rd spot, much more than...

4. KODA KUMI: Ups and downs is all I´ve got to say. Utada would have come before her if not for her big amount of releases. With a great album, Kingdom, she started the year quite well, but with the scandal, she deceased her level of quality. MOON was nothing new, and this year has had an overdose of drama from her. The Kingdom Tour has also been quite boring, except for a few performances, and from the singles, only TABOO stands out (greatly.) It has been a good year, but I really hope the next one is better for Kuu.

5. UTADA HIKARU: Although a bit boring, this year has been great for her. She has released amazing music, like the HEART STATION album. Anyways, I´m a bit disappointed: no Single Collection, no tour, no new singles, no new english album. The only "new" thing apart from HEART STATION is a remix of Eternally xD

6.GIRL NEXT DOOR: These guys have made an incredible debut! 3 amazing singles and an album in the making really make their music worth of a listening. Chisa & her guy´s have released also AMAZING PVs, and I can´t be more pleased with avex for giving them so much money. In some times they will be of the tops, too.

7.MILIYAH KATO: Quite her year, she has released very good singles like SAYONARA Baby, and her BEST DESTINY album reached the top spot in Oricon. Give her a few years and she will be one of the tops.

8. ayaka: Following the footsteps of Utada in slow and boring releasing schedule, but of course she´s not as great. Sing to the Sky was quite a disappointment for me, but her singles this year are quite nice. Okaeri was just great, and I wish she went back to the CLAP & LOVE/Why style more often. Her great voice deserves it.

9. DOUBLE: With her colaboration with Amuro, she gained more of a mainstream popularity, and with her 2 best albums selling very well, she has assured her place as the Queen of RnB in Japan.

Chisa's a girl & not a guy :laugh

aside from that , yes you can definitely tell avex's pumping a lot of $ into this trio & I like them a lot

I want more good music from them in time to come ala in the form of their upcoming new album yay :D

1. NAMIE AMURO - When I say 2008 was the YEAR of NAMIE. It damn sure was. Having the number album in Japan for 3 weeks & having one of the best selling singles of the year. I mean what more can I say?
"Do Me More", "Sexy Girl", "Rock Steady", & "What A Feeling"

2. Ami Suzuki - I was very impressed with Ami's New Singles & New Album this year. "Even it being her 10th Anni. I can say she build me up with Hype & Gave me what I needed. Can't STOP the Disco & One are few of my favorite singles of 08'
"Can't STOP The DISCO", "One", "Change My Life", & "A Token of Love"

3. VAMPS - As a new band with old faces. ONE single yes but it left a lot me. I still listen to those 2 songs over and over. Plus I love Hyde's attempt at english I could actually understand what he was saying for once lol.
"LOVE ADDICT" & "TIME GOES BY"

4. HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - Sadly this the group last year with Makii and with that said they still managed to deliver good songs. I figured with the band falling apart they would show it but NOPE. They kept it together and Maki's leaving with the last few songs leaving a impression that NO ONE can replace her.
"Remember", "Flashback" "Break now!" "Toxic" & "Rosier" ( luna sea cover)

5. Koda Kumi - Well we all know this is my NUMBER 1 Jpop star but. I think she did good as well for 08'. I think TABOO is the song of the year & following Taboo she has other Great hits for her Moon single & Kingdom Album. She also Brought Decent sales as well. Even with the Scandal and all PROMOTION for KINGDOM stopped in the first week she still manages to pass 600,000.
"Under", "TABOO", "Once Again", "Himitsu", & "MORE"


6. Ayumi Hamasaki - The album GUILTY speaks for it self. When I mean I LOVE THIS ALBUM I DO. Forget to her to be released singles for 08' I think Album make ups for it. Favorite song would have to be Guilty & then she came out with Mirrorcle World. The conclusion to Mirror. Ayu played her part.
"Guilty", "Mirrorcle World", "Mirror", & "Marionette"

7. L`Arc~En~Ciel - Since 1991 til Now and this band is still making music? STILL BRING IN HIGH SALES. They deserve to be in the top 10 of 2008. This band had 2 hit singles & classic remakes of old singles. (i.e P`unk~en~Ciel (Dune 2008) ) These guys are damn near 40.
"Dune 2008", "Drink It Down" "NEXUS 4", & "Shine"

8.Miliyah Kato
9.Yui
10.Anna Tsuchiya

LOL, Thanks for pointing out. It should be Chisa & HER guys xDDD
Yeah, I´m gonna buy their album for Christmas <3 They are one of the new discoveries of the year for me

:laugh

me too I'm gonna get their album too & of course if I were to crown my fave new act of the year , it will go to BREAKERZ :love & of course GND , alan will be on the list alongside with GReeeeN too

1. Koda Kumi
2. Tae Yang
3. Big Bang
4. DBSK
5. Emi Hinouchi
6. Miliyah Kato
7. AYUSE KOZUE
8. Ayumi Hamasaki
9. Minwoo
10. Son Ho Young

that was really hard!

The artists who I listen to had a pretty slow year and even tough I loved their releases there weren't that many of them, and with the generic boyband wave I am kinda sad that Japanese music industry is heading that way. It's good to know that there are still people who write their own stuff or/and do what they want regardless of how well it sells like Ayu, Hikki, Ami Suzuki, ayaka (even tough I don't like her that much), Hitomi Shimatani, Ai Otsuka and OLIVIA. I didn't really discover anything new this year, alan had a couple of songs that caught my attention and so did arashi ("truth" was damn good). And I forgot to mention BoA who really surprised me with THE FACE album, as after MIT I didn't really expect such a great album~